CHAN — hope for a brighter future!

The other day when the local Black Stars opened their account in the ongoing CHAN tournament in South Africa against their counterparts from Congo Brazzaville, I told a wide audience on Asempa FM that the competition was going to be tough for our compatriots. Time did not allow me to elaborate on how tough it was going to be, but honestly, I had my doubt over how far the team would travel in the tournament. I had my reasons for that.

Yes, looking at how the Congolese built their attack right from the defence through the midfield towards their opponent’s vital area was a delight to watch, and I wished that was the team I was bound to support. But no! Our boys were forced to play defensively, but it was through such tactics that one ball lobbed into the opponents' goal area and that marked the beginning of the "one goal project" which the current local Black Stars are noted for.

Against Libya, it was the same "project" which yielded the Stars another one goal, with the boys from Libyan desert playing all they could to earn a 1-1 draw through an avoidable penalty. I can say the Libyans were more tactically disciplined  and far more aggressive to deserve the one point they earned.

Then against Ethiopia, who lost all their three group matches like it happened to the local Black Stars in their last tournament in Sudan in 2011, there was a slight improvement, but for the suspension of their tormentor-in-chief, Yahya Mohammed, the scoreline remained the same till the end. Of course, with their seven points from three goals, our soccer analysts had cause to worry, saying it wasn't the best, especially looking at the experience acquired by their next opponent, DR Congo, who could boast players with the calibre of goalkeeper and the captain, Kudiaba, who had been known through the past three tournaments, starting from Cote d'Ivoire where they ended as champions.

And last Sunday, at the outdooring ceremony attended by Bokuruwa Yiedie Fekuo at the home of executive member, Osei Kwakye, the outstanding voice in the discussion of the Black Stars’ chances against DR Congo was the chairman, Kwame Yeboah, who insisted that no matter the performance of the Congolese, it was going to be the same victory parade for the local Black Stars. And it came to pass, even though the young men from this glorious Coast of Gold had it extra tough from the beginning to the end.

It was a sad day for incomparable Kudiaba who, on that occasion, remembered every bit of their last encounter in Abidjan in 2009 when they lifted the cup with a 2-0 win over the local Black Stars. It was a great day for Kwabena Adusei who slotted in his second penalty with such impeccable ease. A sweet revenge indeed!

I must say the greatest fight-back I saw in the tournament was the lovely style with which Nigeria came from a three-goal down at the hands of Morocco in the first half of their quarter-finals game last Saturday.

It is that high-flying local Super Eagles who face our Stars in the semi-finals today. As a matter of fact, no match can be more grudging than this, taking note of the old rivalry between the two combatants. Connoisseurs of the game must rate that match as the best game of the tournament and, for that matter, it looks like the final before the final.

Nuru Sulley, the central defender, has said on radio that it would be their toughest, and Yahaya Mohammed has promised to go the extra mile to ditch the tournament favourites despite their fighting spirit. This important match has necessitated the help of the head coaches of Super Eagles and the Black Stars who are already in South Africa. It must be the most spectacular showdown.

Both coaches are looking round for the drafting of good players for the Brazilian World Cup in the summer, and if there are some great ones who can be sent down to augment the respective squads to be announced soon, it must be now! For sure, the local players know their chances are on course, and that will add extra flair to the beauty of the game.

Indeed, this is a country full of talents, and, for all we know, there are no serious differences between the local Stars and those in the diaspora. Really, analysts believe we have a brighter future in the current local Black Stars, and no matter how they will end in the current tournament, they must be watched closely. Please, let's keep it up. God bless!